Anyone who grew up in the 90’s has heard “The Sign”. The undeniably stick, often annoyingly so, pop song from Swedish group Ace of Base. Combining elements of techno, reggae and Europop, the song conquered the charts in the early 90’s, and has continued to leave a mark in music fans’ minds, being covered in television shows (Full House), commercials and even by indie folk band The Mountain Goats.
Continuing the song’s legacy is Boston-based “soft-punk” Tiffy. The fuzz-tinged dream rock project led by multi-instrumentalist, Asian-American artist Tiffany Sammy, has taken the track and reimagined it as if it were originally written by alternative-leaning 90’s artists like Liz Phair and Julianna Hatfield.
With thumping drums and crunchy, distorted guitars, the track already sounds like an alt rock nugget unburied from 30 years ago. Vocally, Tiffy tackles the song with an angsty, melancholy delivery; reluctant to embrace the sunny revelation of the original’s meaning. It’s a true transformation of the song, making it at once recognizable but also unique.
Check out Tiffy’s take on the track here.
The Indy Review 